In the Line of Duty
by Kylie Anderson
Summary: One CSI is kidnapped, but that's not all there is to it. Why does he have files that belong to a dead CSI? What kind of mind game did he enter and will he be able to withstand it? Or will he die in the line of duty?
1. Chapter 1

In the Line of Duty

Chapter 1

Eric Delko walked into their latest crime scene. A young woman was lying in a pool of blood in the middle of a large, modern-looking home. Calleigh Duquesne entered with her kit turning her flashlight on. "Hey Eric," Calleigh said casually.

Alexx Woods was kneeling next to the body. "This poor girl put up a fight." Alexx said softly.

Calleigh looked around before looking at the body. "How'd she die?" Calleigh asked.

"It looks like a stabbing. I'll know more when I get her to the morgue." Alexx said shortly.

Eric sighed looking at his watch. "Do you know where Ryan is?" Eric asked in an almost bitter tone.

Calleigh shook her head. "No, why?" Calleigh asked.

Eric sighed. "He wasn't at the lab this morning and this is supposed to be his crime scene. I'm just covering for him." Eric explained.

"Maybe he got stuck in traffic," Alexx offered from the floor.

Eric seemed skeptical. "Yeah, maybe…" Eric said turning around to process the scene.

((-))

After an hour at the crime scene, Calleigh and Eric returned to the crime lab. They sat in the break room where Horatio Caine and Natalia Boa Vista walked in. "Ryan was supposed to help me fill in some paperwork today, but so much for that." Natalia said calmly getting a cup of water.

Eric shook his head. "Yeah, I had to cover for him because he didn't get his butt over to the crime scene." Eric said obviously angry with Ryan.

Horatio looked up alarmed. "Has anyone seen Ryan today?" Horatio asked.

Calleigh, Eric and Natalia exchanged glances before shaking their heads. "We just thought he was with you…" Calleigh said beginning to get worried.

"Has anyone tried to contact him?" Horatio asked.

Eric nodded. "When he was supposed to show up at work an hour ago, I began calling him." Eric said. "He never answered."

Horatio now was in full worried mode. He looked at Eric. "Let's go over to Ryan's apartment and see what's going on." Horatio said shortly.

Eric got up wordlessly and followed Horatio out of the room.

((-))

When they reached Ryan's apartment, they knocked on the door. "Hey Ryan, it's me Eric." Eric said loudly.

There was no answer. Eric looked over at Horatio to see he was obviously worried. "I've got a key from the landlord." Horatio said putting the key in the lock and unlocking the door.

Eric and Horatio got their guns out before opening the door. Horatio moved swiftly in front of Eric with his gun drawn checking all the rooms to the left while Eric checked all the rooms to the right. "Clear," Eric called holstering his gun.

"Clear," Horatio repeated scanning the room with his eyes.

There was silence and Eric could almost hear the wheels of thought turning in Horatio's head. "Maybe Ryan's heading to the lab now." Eric commented. "Ryan didn't clean up this mess though."

Eric was pointing to Ryan's desk which had papers all about. This did not set off an alarm in Eric's mind, but it certainly did for Horatio. "Eric, do you remember Ryan saying he was OCD?" Horatio asked carefully.

Eric caught on to what Horatio was thinking. "Yeah, but maybe he just left the place in a hurry." Eric said.

Horatio nodded. "That is a possibility, but how do you explain the blood?" Horatio asked pointing to a very tiny pool of blood about seven inches by seven inches in the white carpet by the desk.

Eric found nothing else to say as Horatio pulled out his cell phone to call it in.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It only took Calleigh, Detective Frank Tripp, Alexx and Natalia ten minutes to arrive at Ryan's apartment. Upon arriving at the apartment complex, Natalia rushed up to Ryan's apartment with Calleigh, Frank and Alexx following. There, Eric was standing in the doorway. "Eric what happened? We got a call out to Ryan's apartment…" Natalia said hardly controlling her emotion.

Alexx noticed Horatio standing silently in the background. "He isn't…" Alexx asked fearfully.

Eric sighed. "We don't know." Eric said shortly. "We got here and noticed papers thrown everywhere and a small pool of blood."

Calleigh closed her eyes. "Do you think…" Calleigh began before stopping. "Do you think he's dead?"

Horatio walked towards the doorway. "We don't know much right now, however it is a possibility that Ryan is dead." Horatio said calmly.

"I highly doubt that. I mean, why would someone take Ryan out of his home and then kill him?" Eric said trying to find a more pleasant situation.

Horatio nodded. "Good point Eric. Let's find out." Horatio said shortly. "We need to process this apartment quickly and efficiently."

Alexx simply looked at Horatio as the others walked past him and into the apartment. "Why did you come?" Horatio asked quickly.

"I just heard something over the radio about Ryan…and I wasn't sure if he was dead or what…and if he was, I thought you didn't want to call me…" Alexx said quietly.

Horatio smiled. "You are of no assistance here Alexx." Horatio informed her.

"For once in my life, I am thankful for that." Alexx said turning and then walking away.

((-))

Calleigh could hardly control the tears welting up in her eyes as she scanned framed photos on top of Ryan's dresser. There was one of Ryan and the team at the Christmas party the crime lab held the previous year. Eric was wearing a Santa Claus hat while Ryan was wearing reindeer antlers. Calleigh remember the day because Ryan insisted that Calleigh and Natalia have "bunny ears" as they did not have a hat. Horatio was in the back laughing while Frank was bitterly standing looking at his tie that he spilt punch on.

There were various other pictures of the team. It tore her heart out to not know what happened. She didn't know if Ryan was alive or dead. She didn't know if he was kidnapped, tortured or got a bloody nose before running away. There were too many unanswered questions.

((-))

Natalia dusted the desk while Eric collected the papers. She was almost expecting to hear Ryan's voice pointing out her mistakes. "What are the papers about?" Natalia asked lifting off some prints.

Eric shrugged. "I don't know. I'll have to look at them at the lab." Eric said.

Natalia nodded watching Eric disappear out the door.

((-))

Calleigh finally got the DNA tests back on the blood. Natalia walked up to Calleigh. "Are those the DNA results?" Natalia asked fearfully.

"Yes," Calleigh replied crisply. "The blood on the carpet matches Ryan."

Natalia took a deep breath. She knew it was going to be his, but still…she just wanted to have a little hope… "I don't think there was enough blood for Ryan to be seriously injured." Natalia announced.

Calleigh nodded in agreement. "I agree. However, if Ryan was simply injured why didn't he show up for work? He's defiantly been kidnapped." Calleigh said sighing. "Did you get anywhere with the fingerprints?"

Natalia shook her head. "Only Ryan's prints," Natalia said shortly. "Have you heard from Eric yet?"

"No, but we can pay him a visit." Calleigh offered with a fake smile.

_Just smile and pretend like everything's fine when one of your co-workers could be dead… _Calleigh thought bitterly.

((-))

When they entered the questionable documents lab, Horatio was standing behind Eric. Horatio had a calm face on while Eric appeared to be upset. "What is it?" Calleigh asked breathlessly.

Eric looked up at them. "Those papers…were parts of Speedle's files." Eric said angrily.

Nothing could have prepared Calleigh for that. She was purely shocked.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Calleigh closed her eyes. "Why would Ryan have Speed's old files?" Calleigh asked opening her eyes.

Eric shrugged. "Maybe he was just looking for the next big story." Eric said sourly.

Horatio looked at the files when his pager beeped. "I believe Tyler can help us." Horatio said leading them out of the questionable documents lab.

((-))

The AV tech, Tyler, was quickly typing on Ryan's laptop they got from Ryan's apartment. "What is it Tyler?" Natalia asked swiftly.

Tyler cleared his throat. "I was going though his computer files and history like Mr. Caine told me to and I got this." Tyler said showing them a chat room conversation.

_November 1, 2006_

_Prisonboy: One of your CSI's was dirty_

_Wolfe: How did you get this chat room?_

_Prisonboy: Hacking. Ever heard of it? _

_Wolfe: Get out of here now before I report this to the FBI cyber crimes._

_Prisonboy: Don't you want to know about the guy you're replacing? _

_Wolfe: Who are you? _

_Prisonboy: Come on! You're smart! I'm talking about Speedle._

_Wolfe: I'm not replacing anyone. I'm not trying to prove anything. I'm just out to find the truth._

_Prisonboy: Is that what you tell yourself at night? Come on, I see how Delko treats you. Calleigh asks like you're not alive. Horatio doesn't believe in you. Natalia used you._

_Wolfe: That's a load of crap! I don't know who you are, but you better leave this be! I'm logging off now. _

_Prisonboy: Speedle was dirty! How do you think he died? _

_Prisonboy: You still there? _

_Prisonboy: Hello? _

_Wolfe: What are you talking about? _

_Prisonboy: I knew you would be interested. Listen, he took drugs from the evidence locker. He planted evidence. Check his files. I'll be contact with you. _

_Wolfe: Wait…_

_Prisonboy: **Logged off **_

_Wolfe: **Logged off **_

_November 7, 2006 _

_Prisonboy: You check the files?_

_Wolfe: Yeah. Speedle's clean. I don't know who you are, but you need to leave this alone. I've always had a respect for Speedle even though I never met him. Delko seems like he really liked Speedle and I'm very sorry that Speedle's life was ended so tragically. I do not blame any of them for not welcoming me with open arms. I came at such a horrible time for them._

_Prisonboy: Rookie! You wouldn't know what you're talking about! _

_Wolfe: I do! Speedle was a great cop, a wonderful friend! His files say he was exceptional. _

_Prisonboy: Ryan, you better watch out. From what I hear, someone's ordered a hit on you._

_Wolfe: Why bring up this stuff with Speedle? _

_Prisonboy: I don't want you to repeat his mistakes. Speedle was a horrible cop and died because of it. Now, you're too good of a CSI and now that's what's going to kill you._

_Wolfe: You can't scare me. _

_Prisonboy: Is that why you're biting your nails? You should really close your curtains. _

_Wolfe: WHERE ARE YOU?_

_Prisonboy: You won't leave that apartment alive. I can promise you that. I've already got people over there. You're DEAD. _

_Prisonboy: **Logged off **_

Calleigh let out a gasp. "That was last night," Calleigh said.

Horatio looked at the messages cautiously. "Ryan never logged out." Horatio noted.

Natalia sighed. "He probably never got the chance." Natalia said.

"This person knows a lot of stuff. He knows who we are. But he's way off about Speedle." Eric said firmly.

Calleigh looked around the room. "So that means, this person probably works close to us." Calleigh said catching on.

"Or is one of us," Eric added darkly.

((-))

Sitting in the AV room, Horatio's cell phone rang. "Caine," Horatio answered.

Eric, Calleigh and Natalia were talking about the messages in depth. Tyler had left. "Slow down Ryan. I'm putting you on speaker." Horatio said alarmed.

This caught Eric, Calleigh and Natalia's attention. "H, I've been kidnapped. This people are very smart, but not smart enough to take my cell phone from me." Ryan said quickly. "I was able to get the ropes off my wrists and ankles, but I'm locked in a warehouse. You need to trace this call."

Calleigh was already tapping on a computer. "Ryan, I need you to relax and tell me what's going on." Horatio said calmly.

"This is just a mind game for these guys. They're torturing me. It's not too bad, but they're trying to get something out of me. They keep telling me about how Speedle was a dirty cop, about how you hate me, how Eric blames me for Speedle's death, how Natalia used me and how Calleigh thinks she's better that me." Ryan said with a short laugh.

All at once, everyone protested. "Wait, wait! I know none of that is true, but for some reason they're trying to turn me against you guys so I can tell them something. I'll die before they get anything out of me." Ryan said firmly loyal to his co-workers.

"Ryan, don't you do that. You work on keeping yourself alive…" Horatio began but was cut off by two voices.

"You're so predictable. That's probably Horatio on the other line." One voice said. "We knew you would call him. You better say goodbye."

There was a click almost like a trigger being cocked. "We can't kill him. We still need him." Another voice warned.

"No we don't. We've got everything we need." The first voice said calmly.

There was suddenly a loud rush of voices before a gunshot and then the line went dead. Horatio looked up suddenly at Calleigh. "Did we get a trace?" Horatio asked.

Calleigh shook her head. "Those people aren't stupid. They put some sort of jam to make it impossible to trace." Calleigh said.

Natalia simply stood there silently. "D…do you think that gunshot was…do…do you think they killed Ryan?" Natalia asked trying to find the right words.

Horatio looked at her for a minute. "Yes, I believe they killed Ryan." Horatio said shortly.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ryan opened his eyes. It was dark. It was cold. Was this the end? What about seeing a white light? Was it just darkness? Then it all rushed back to him. He tried to grab the gun from one of the men and ended up shooting the guy. He killed the man. The other man didn't seem fazed though and simply dragged the body out of the room before locking Ryan in again.

It would have been better if the man had simply killed Ryan. His death would have been short and painless, but this… Ryan shuttered. Regardless of what Horatio said, he was not going to tell these men anything. He would keep whatever they wanted until his death. _Which might be sooner than planned. _Ryan thought sadly. _If only they left the cell phone…I wish I had some to tell me differently. _

((-))

Shocked by the shot conversation, Calleigh could simply stand at the computer gawking at Horatio. "We're going to still pursue this like a missing person case." Horatio informed them. "Ryan could still be alive."

Eric was the first to regain his composure. "If this guy hacked into Ryan's chat room, we can probably back-track him through his IP address." Eric offered.

Natalia shook her head. "Why bother? Ryan's probably dead and if these guys were smart enough to make an untraceable call, they probably didn't leave us a cyber trail for us to follow." Natalia said bitterly.

Horatio smiled. "No one is perfect Ms. Boa Vista. These men made a mistake and we are going to find it." Horatio said putting on his sunglasses before leaving the room.

((-))

Tyler found several other chat rooms. Calleigh, Eric and Natalia read each one.

_November 3, 2006_

_Prisonboy: Horatio only hired you because he was forced to. _

_Wolfe: Stop. **Logged off**_

_November 4, 2006_

_Prisonboy: Natalia used you and Eric. You can't deny that. She's a jerk! _

_Wolfe: **Logged off**_

_November 5, 2006_

_Prisonboy: Calleigh doesn't like you much. Sure you saved her father's butt on your first case, but she obviously doesn't think of you as a person. _

_Wolfe: **Logged off**_

_November 6, 2006_

_Prisonboy: You're worthless. You're only Speedle's replacement. That's what Eric thinks. His best friend died and then you showed up. His sister died and well…you're just bad luck to him. He hates you. _

_Wolfe: True, he hates me. They all do, but I'm not there to do anything but my job. **Logged off **_

Eric shook his head. "I don't hate him." Eric said shortly.

Calleigh sighed. "Well, we didn't give him the greatest welcome and still, three years later, we still don't treat him like one of our own." Calleigh stated.

"So Ryan kept ignoring this creep until yesterday when he defended CSI Timothy Speedle?" Natalia said cautiously. "Was Speedle dirty?"

"No!" Calleigh and Eric replied at once.

Natalia smiled. "I figured as much, but just wanted to be sure…" Natalia trailed off in thought.

Eric put his head in his hands. "This is getting really frustrating. I wish there was something more we could do…" Eric said quietly.

Tyler stood up. "There is! I got the IP address!" Tyler shouted from his computer.

Everyone gathered around it. "A few clicks…" Tyler muttered. "Okay, it's one of the police department computers and it belongs to…a CSI…Eric Delko."

There was deafening silence.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Horatio entered the AV lab. He had just gotten the call. Eric's computer had been used to write the messages to Ryan in the chat room. As soon as Horatio entered the room, Eric flew up to him. "H, I wasn't in those chat rooms…" Eric said quickly.

"I know Eric." Horatio cut him off. "November 5th at 7 PM, when one of those chat rooms was going on, you were at a crime scene with me, Frank and Alexx."

Calleigh looked at him oddly. "Why weren't Ryan, Natalia or I called?" Calleigh asked.

Horatio smiled. "You all had the day off." Horatio reminded them.

Natalia nodded. "Of course! So Eric, see! There's an eyewitness saying you didn't do it." Natalia encouraged relieved that he had nothing to do with it.

Calleigh smiled. "You have a desktop, right?" Calleigh asked.

Eric nodded. "Yeah, we all do." Eric said rolling his eyes before muttering. "Budget cuts,"

"Well, since on November 7, the person could see Ryan, that must have meant that they had a laptop or a desktop in another location. You couldn't have moved the desktop, rewire it and then still have the same IP address." Calleigh explained.

Tyler sighed. "This person is good. It takes a really smart guy to change an IP address, hack a chat room and to make an untraceable call." Tyler commented.

"Like who could do it?" Natalia asked.

"Besides me?" Tyler asked laughing. "Few people,"

No one else laughed though. They all looked at him. "Wait, I did not do this…" Tyler said quickly defending himself.

No one said anything before leaving the room.

((-))

Ryan sighed. He wasn't bound and began pacing the room. There had to be a way out! He had to do something! He wasn't going to sit here waiting like a duck to get killed. Taking a deep breath, Ryan ran his fingers though his hair. "Okay Ryan, lesson one in the police academy…think logically…" Ryan muttered. "If only I could kick that door down…"

A shrill laugh echoed through the room. "The first sign of madness…talking to yourself." Ryan said making himself smile for the first time in a long time.

((-))

Calleigh rubbed her neck for it was very sore. "So this guy is trying to turn us against each other?" Calleigh asked.

Horatio nodded. "It appears that way." Horatio said shortly.

Eric sighed. "Why is he doing that though?" Eric questioned.

"For him, it's…a game. He likes playing with our heads." Natalia said glancing over the file she was holding.

"Okay, if that's the case, then why did he kidnap Ryan? Why didn't he just kidnap someone else?" Eric asked.

Natalia hung her head. "Probably because this sicko thought he could break Ryan easier than the rest of us…I mean, look at how we've treated him…" Natalia said shortly.

((-))

_Okay, this is it Wolfe. _Ryan thought encouragingly. _You've just got to kick down that door and run… _However, a small part of him attempted to talk him out of it. _That door is too strong…too thick. You won't ever be able to kick that thing down. Even if you do, there's probably a guy with a gun on the other side who will shoot to kill…_

Before Ryan could even think another thought, the door swung open and the man entered. "You killed my partner." The man said pulling out a gun. "You killed him with this gun."

Swiftly, the man overpowered Ryan and handcuffed him. "I'm going to get a little tool of mine." The man said with a smile before leaving the room quickly.

No sooner than he had left did the man return. He entered with a large machine. "This machine lets out thousands of watts per second…People who have survived it would say how horrible it was if their minds weren't fried…" The man said grinning as he hooked it up to Ryan.

Ryan couldn't do anything but watch in horror as the machine was switched on. He screamed. He screamed louder than he had before. There was so much pain. Tears fell down his face. He cried and screamed, but nothing could stop the pain. Then, the pain stopped. For two blissful minutes, the pain stopped, but the man turned on the machine again.

After an hour of this process of turning the machine on and off, the man finally unhooked it and then silently left. Ryan was still crying when the man left.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Natalia and Eric were sitting in silence. They were scanning over Ryan's past files. He had put away his fair share of criminals, but none of them really stood out as the kind who would be…smart…enough to pull something like this off. "Do you think it might be any of these people?" Natalia asked at last breaking the silence.

Eric shook his head. "This doesn't seem like something any of them would do." Eric said tossing aside a file.

"Who do you think would be capable of kidnapping someone in their own home?" Natalia asked quietly.

Eric sighed. "It's probably someone who wants revenge. I mean this person appears to dislike the entire lab." Eric said. "The person's probably a criminal."

Natalia glanced around the empty room. She hated this waiting game. "What are we going to do? We can't just sit here and wait for evidence to arise and we can't look through every single file to see if a person might have kidnapped Ryan!" Natalia said suddenly standing up.

Eric looked weary sitting in the chair. "I know Natalia. I hate not being able to help Ryan, but what can we do? We can't do much." Eric said tiredly.

"There has to be _something_!" Natalia exclaimed. "A tiny clue we missed! Anything!"

When Eric remained silent, Natalia sunk into the chair. Could they not save their colleague?

((-))

Horatio looked at Calleigh, who was working in the audio lab, through the glass walls that surrounded the large room. He entered the lab. "What are you looking at?" Horatio asked gently from behind her.

"I'm not looking at anything." Calleigh replied. "Rather, I'm listening to that phone call Ryan made. Since we couldn't trace it, I thought there might be something else on it. So, I eliminated the people and the gunshot so I could here the background noise."

Calleigh played the audio track. There were soft tooting noises. "It sounds like a boat." Horatio commented.

"That's what I thought!" Calleigh said with a smile. "So we know Ryan's in a warehouse near the ocean!"

Horatio didn't seem to have the heart to tell Calleigh that every place in Miami was surrounded by boats. "It gives us a start." Horatio said.

Calleigh nodded. "The boats weren't the only thing I heard…otherwise we would have no chance of finding Ryan. I also heard this…" Calleigh said playing the audio track again.

This time there was a loud shrill. "A train," Horatio said automatically.

"Exactly," Calleigh said. "There's only one place in Miami that near the ocean and has train tracks near it."

Horatio already had his cell phone out. "Frank, we need to get to Meson Dock." Horatio said firmly into the cell phone.

((-))

The man entered the room again. "I want you to tell me how to get into the evidence room at the lab." The man said coldly. "Or maybe you don't know because you're so worthless."

If Ryan wasn't handcuffed, he might have just killed the guy. "Why?" Ryan asked curiously.

In one swift motion, the man swooped up to Ryan and punched him across the face…hard. "Just tell me!" The man demanded.

A slow trickle of blood was coming from Ryan's mouth. "Not until you tell me why," Ryan said.

The man smiled. "Fine, have it your way." The man said pulling out an odd looking device.

It was a metal object and Ryan was positive it wasn't going to be something pleasant. The man went behind Ryan. He quickly put Ryan's left pinkie into the device and there was a sudden snap. Ryan let out a howl of pain. The man walked around to face Ryan. "That hurt, didn't it?" The man questioned.

Ryan did not respond. "Well, I only broke that finger. Imagine what would happen should I cut it off." The man said darkly. "Now tell me how to get into the evidence room."

"W…why?" Ryan stuttered in pain.

It was now the man's turn not to respond. Instead, he pulled out another device.

((-))

Frank quickly glanced at Horatio, Calleigh, Eric and Natalia. "Okay, there are three warehouses on this dock." Frank said pointing to three large buildings. "SWAT wants us to take one warehouse at a time."

Calleigh looked around at the SWAT team to see they were more than ready. "But what if this guy hears us go into one of the buildings and then shoots Ryan?" Calleigh asked worriedly.

No one replied to her question. "Let's roll," Horatio said quietly.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Ryan sat quietly on the cold floor. His clothes were ripped and his hair was matted with dirt and blood. "Tell me how to get into the evidence room!" The man shouted getting angry. "I never thought you would be so hard to break!"

"You didn't do your homework than." Ryan replied.

At that point, Ryan didn't care what happened to him. He was in so much pain, getting hit again would feel like nothing. The man kicked Ryan in the ribs. He let out a gasp of pain. "Tell me!" The man demanded.

"Why do you want to know?" Ryan asked again.

"Tell me!" The man yelled. "Tell me, _now_!"

What was it Ryan's father always told him? It was something about how when faced with death you do what is right. You protect others at the cost of your life. Ryan's father always talked about bravery and loyalty, but it was so difficult to concentrate on these things when all he wanted was for the pain to stop. _Ryan, even if you give this guy what he wants, he's still going to kill you. _Ryan thought. "No." Ryan said firmly.

"What?" The man exclaimed his eyes bulging. "What?!"

"No." Ryan said. "I won't tell you how to get into the evidence room."

The man looked like he wanted nothing more than to kill Ryan. "I want to get into that room to alter evidence against me. I murdered seven people. I escaped from prison." The man said shortly.

Ryan seemed surprised. Why hadn't the police been informed of this? "When did you escape?" Ryan asked perplexed.

"I escaped only two weeks ago. My appeal is coming up, so when they catch me, I want them to find the altered evidence which will clear me." The man said quietly.

"When did you commit these crimes?" Ryan asked.

The man smiled. "In 1986, I kidnapped all seven of my victims and tortured them. In 1988, I was arrested and convicted to life without the possibility of parole. Since I've been saying I'm innocent, I figured I could break out and alter evidence." The man said.

"Why me?" Ryan asked.

The man grinned. "Well, I heard about how wonderful Horatio's team is. Every time I attempt to appeal, Horatio has evidence against me. He wasn't the guy who arrested me, but he's been keeping me in jail, so I figured, why not kidnap his little precious team member and gain access to the evidence room?" The man said. "I've done my part now, tell me!"

Ryan was not about to tell this man anything. He deserved to be put to death for killing seven people instead of a life sentence. "No." Ryan said.

As expect, the man jumped up and lost all control. He began kicking and punching Ryan ruthlessly. He was yelling and shouting. With each blow, Ryan felt himself slightly drifting off…

((-))

"Clear!" Frank called after checking one room in the large warehouse.

Eventually, several SWAT members called clear as well. The first warehouse was not the place. They checked the second warehouse. It was empty as well. "This has to be the one." Eric said shortly glancing at a large warehouse.

Calleigh felt herself freezing cold under the Miami sun. This was it. This was the warehouse. Two SWAT members heaved open the doors. They did not do so silently though. The doors were large metal doors that moaned and groaned loudly. Their presence was known to all.

((-))

The man undid Ryan's handcuffs. "You are going to die!" The man growled continuing to kick and punch him.

All of a sudden, a loud scraping sound was heard. The man knew the door was open. "Shut up." The man whispered to Ryan.

((-))

Horatio quickly moved towards a body in the middle of the room. Calleigh, Natalia, Frank and Eric did the same. "It's not him." Horatio announced bending over the body. "He's dead."

"I'll call Alexx." Eric offered.

Calleigh looked around the warehouse. It was empty expect for the body in the middle of the warehouse. There were no other offices or anything. "Could we have been mistaken?" Natalia questioned.

Horatio's eyes settled upon a bookshelf. "This entire place is empty except for that bookshelf." Horatio observed. "There is no office which is quite odd for a warehouse this size."

Natalia, Calleigh and Frank all looked over at the bookshelf. "Alexx is on her way." Eric said swiftly.

"Frank, help me move it." Horatio said walking towards the bookshelf.

Frank obeyed and assisted Horatio in moving the bookshelf away from the wall. Once it was removed, a metal door appeared behind it. Horatio pulled out his gun as did Frank. SWAT moved in behind them. Eric, Natalia and Calleigh also moved closer to the door. Horatio quickly opened the door.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sunlight flooded Ryan's eyes. It took him only a second to readjust to the light. There he saw Horatio standing with his gun withdrawn. The man grabbed Ryan and held him in front of his body as a shield. The man also held a gun to Ryan's head. "Make a move and I shoot him." The man warned.

"Jeffery Hopkins," Horatio said recognizing the man.

Jeffery smiled. "You remember me Horatio?" Jeffery asked. "I'm touched… considering that you were the one that kept me in jail all these years."

Horatio glanced at Ryan. He looked to be in terrible shape. Blood was all over his body and he didn't appear to be able to stand up. It looked as if the only thing holding him up was Jeffery. "Why don't you let Ryan go?" Horatio asked calmly.

"Not a chance," Jeffery sneered.

Horatio backed away from the doorway and the others did as well. It was a good idea to make Jeffery feel like he had options. "Ryan hasn't done anything to you." Horatio said trying to reason with him.

Jeffery shrugged. "Who cares? If I die, he dies." Jeffery said simply.

"Let him go!" Horatio said sharply losing his patience.

Jeffery shook his head. "No!" Jeffery said tightening his grip on Ryan.

Ryan didn't dare move. He was too worried that he might get stuck in some sort of crossfire. "There's no way out." Jeffery muttered before letting go of Ryan.

As soon as Jeffery let Ryan drop to the floor, he pulled the trigger of his gun. He then turned the gun to himself and pulled the trigger. Automatically the SWAT team kicked Jeffery's gun away from him although it was clear he was dead.

Horatio rushed to Ryan's side. The bullet entered Ryan's lower stomach. Calleigh, Natalia and Eric all stood around Ryan. Horatio pressed against Ryan's wound. "You're going to be fine Ryan." Horatio said calmly.

Natalia had already called an ambulance. Alexx rushed into the room with her kit and gloves on. "What happened?" Alexx exclaimed.

"He's been shot." Calleigh said stating the obvious.

Alexx gently pushed Horatio aside and opened her kit. She found a large bandage and pressed it tightly against Ryan's wound. "Hey Ryan, how are you?" Alexx asked with a fake smile.

"Fantastic," Ryan muttered sarcastically.

"Where's the ambulance?" Eric asked running outside to direct the paramedics when they came.

Having gone to school for surgery, Alexx knew how to deal with patients. She knew how to calm them. "Ryan, I need you to keep talking to me. What's your favorite color?" Alexx questioned.

"What…a stupid question…" Ryan said slowly trying to smile.

Alexx smiled back. "Hey, it's better than 'what kind of underwear do you prefer?'" Alexx said gently noticing that the gauze was seeped with blood.

Ryan was so tired. He just wanted to let everything else go and slip away into darkness. "Alexx…so sleepy…" Ryan mumbled.

Alarmed, Alexx shook her head. "No, no Ryan! You can't sleep. You have to stay awake." Alexx said sharply.

There was no response and Ryan's eyes were closed. Alexx pulled out a stethoscope and found a heartbeat. There were tears in her eyes. She kept pressing against the wound. "Come on Ryan, wake up…" Alexx said choking up.

At that moment, paramedics swiftly entered the room. Calleigh, Natalia and Horatio stepped back to give them room. Eric now stood watching as well. Alexx kept pressing firmly against the wound. "GSW to the lower stomach…lost consciousness about three minutes ago…" Alexx rattled off to them.

"Was he responsive before that?" One paramedic asked as they lifted him into a gurney.

Alexx nodded. "Breathing was shallow, but yes." Alexx responded.

Another paramedic kept applying pressure to the wound. "Thanks!" The first paramedic said as they lifted the gurney into the ambulance.

In a matter of seconds, the ambulance zoomed out of sight leaving Alexx, Horatio, Calleigh, Eric and Natalia standing in the middle of the warehouse in shock. Eric glanced at Horatio and Alexx. They were covered in Ryan's blood.

It was so silent; you could hear the gentle breeze blowing outside and the sound of boats coming in. It was as silent as death.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

As if in a dream, Alexx sat in the waiting room to the ER with clean clothes on. She had spent a long time wiping the blood off of her…and even though she was no longer covered in it, she felt so dirty. It had been three hours and there was still no word on Ryan.

Horatio sat next to Alexx in clean clothes as well. He didn't feel like talking much. This reminded him so much of Speedle's death, only this time, he was waiting. Speedle just died, but Ryan was hanging on…he was fighting… Hours seemed like years to Horatio.

Taking out a tissue, Calleigh dabbed her eyes. She wasn't crying, but tears were welting up in her eyes. Natalia was also doing the same. It seemed too difficult to grasp the fact that they might not see Ryan again. Regardless of everything that happened, Ryan still was a part of their team.

Eric was the only one who did not wait in silence. He seemed to be agitated. Eric had taken a liking to pacing around the halls. He would stop occasionally and glance at the ER doors hoping they would open.

At last, the ER doors swung open. It had been four hours. Four long hours. A woman with a smile walked out and greeted them. "Hello my name is Dr. Harrison. Is there a Mrs. Wolfe?" The woman asked politely. "Or a Mr. Wolfe?"

Horatio was already on his feet. "No," Horatio said recognizing the names of Ryan's parents. "But they're on their way."

The woman nodded. "Alright. I'm not allowed to pass out personal information to anyone but the patient's emergency contacts." Dr. Harrison said gently.

As if on cue, a frantic woman entered the waiting room followed by a worried man. "Hello? We're here for Ryan Wolfe." The man announced.

Dr. Harrison glided over to them. "Mr. Wolfe?" She asked carefully. "Mrs. Wolfe?"

Mr. Wolfe nodded. "Yes, how's Ryan?" Mr. Wolfe asked quickly.

Dr. Harrison gave them another one of those fake smiles. "Why don't we go into my office?" Dr. Harrison offered kindly.

The three people disappeared from sight. Five minutes later, there was a horrible wale. Mrs. Wolfe and Mr. Wolfe reappeared into the waiting room. "He was just getting a chemistry degree! Chemistry!" Mrs. Wolfe shrieked. "How could you let this happen?"

Mr. Wolfe didn't say anything. He probably thought it was best to let her rage. "Ryan's so smart! How could this have happened? How?! This is…This can't be happening!" Mrs. Wolfe said starting to get softer.

In a matter of seconds, Mrs. Wolfe collapsed against Mr. Wolfe letting out heart wrenching sobs. "My baby! My sweet baby! He can't be dead!" She sobbed.

Her last words caught the attention of everyone in the waiting room. Calleigh, Natalia and Alexx all stood up at those words. Eric quickly walked over to Horatio. Dr. Harrison appeared at their side. "The Wolfe's have given me permission to discuss what happened…Although now it's a homicide so I would pass this information to the coroner." Dr. Harrison said simply. "Ryan Wolfe came in with so many wounds. The most fatal was the gunshot wound, but he also had broken ribs, internal bleeding, a concussion, brain swelling…There were numerous other injuries. The cause of death is unclear although we believe it was due to the gunshot wound, but your coroner will have to confirm that. He died on the operating table."

Horatio closed his eyes. It was not possible. How could one of their own die again? Mrs. Wolfe still hadn't quieted. "My son…" She moaned.

Mr. Wolfe was holding on to her tightly. "I know sweetie…I know…" He muttered.

A short woman ran up to Dr. Harrison and muttered something in her ear. Dr. Harrison looked alarmed and scanned the room. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry," Dr. Harrison began. "But there's been a mix up with the files. Apparently there were two Ryan Wolfe's admitted into the hospital at the same time with a gunshot wound. The files got slightly mixed up."

Mrs. Wolfe suddenly quieted. "How's Ryan then?" She asked through tears.

Dr. Harrison smiled. "He's out of surgery and a little groggy." Dr. Harrison explained to them.

Alexx looked at Dr. Harrison coldly. "How could your hospital make such a horrible mistake?" Alexx asked bitterly.

"I'm sorry, but one man's name was Ryan Wolf without the 'e'. The other was Ryan Wolfe with the 'e'. They both had gunshot wounds. One was to the head and the other was to the stomach. Hospitals aren't perfect. This was just a terrible mistake." Dr. Harrison said gently. "I'm very sorry."

"Can we see him?" Mr. Wolfe asked butting into the hot conversation between the two doctors.

Dr. Harrison nodded and gave them the room number. Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe quickly left the waiting room. "You run a sloppy ER." Alexx said coldly.

"I'm sorry, but you really don't know what it's like being a doctor…" Dr. Harrison began.

Alexx let out a snort. "Excuse me, my name is _Dr._ Alexx Woods." Alexx said firmly.

"What field?" Dr. Harrison questioned.

"I worked in the ER for years, but now I work in pathology." Alexx replied.

Dr. Harrison let out a bitter laugh. "Obviously you've forgotten how things get mixed up…" Dr. Harrison began.

Alexx shook her head. "I think I need to take this with the board of medicine." Alexx said heatedly before walking past the doctor and into Ryan's room.

Calleigh, Natalia, Eric and Horatio all did the same.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Ryan was propped up on a few pillows. His left arm was in a cast and his right leg was also in a cast. His face was bruised along with various other parts of his body. He looked deathly ill. Ryan's mother held his right hand and Ryan's father stood behind her. "How are you sweetie?" Ryan's mother asked stroking his hair.

"I'm…okay…really…you don't need to worry…" Ryan mumbled.

It was very obvious he was lying. "Honey, you just rest, okay?" Mrs. Wolfe said gently.

"Hmm…" Ryan said groggily before falling into silence.

Mr. Wolfe looked up to see Horatio, Alexx, Calleigh, Natalia and Eric standing in the doorway. He quickly walked over to them. "Hi, my name's James Wolfe." Mr. Wolfe said swiftly shaking Horatio's hand.

"Horatio Caine," Horatio said before dropping his hand.

"Thank you so much for saving Ryan." Mr. Wolfe said. "My wife…she couldn't handle it if Ryan died…She thinks he should be in a lab with his chemistry, but I think Ryan makes an excellent CSI."

Horatio smiled. "I agree." Horatio said shortly.

Mr. Wolfe looked at his wife and then back at the others. "My wife and I are going to get some coffee. Please feel free to visit Ryan whenever you want. He's so lucky to have co-workers like yourselves." Mr. Wolfe said beckoning his wife to follow him.

Mrs. Wolfe did so reluctantly. Horatio, Calleigh, Alexx, Natalia and Eric all entered. "Is she gone?" A voice asked from the bed.

They were all surprised to see Ryan looking up at them. They assumed he was sleeping. "Who? Your mother?" Natalia asked.

Ryan gave them a slight nod. "She cares, but she worries too much…" Ryan muttered.

Alexx smiled. "That's what mothers do," Alexx informed him.

"How do you feel?" Eric asked in a concerned voice.

"Like I've been shot," Ryan admitted.

They smiled at this comment. "What…did Jeffery want?" Calleigh asked briskly in a professional tone.

"He wanted to get into the evidence room." Ryan answered shortly.

Ryan's eyes were starting to flutter as if he was fighting to stay awake. Noticing this, Horatio smiled. "We will see you later Ryan, okay?" Horatio asked gently.

For once, Horatio used Ryan's first name as opposed to Mr. Wolfe, but Ryan did not notice as he was already asleep.

((-))

Natalia was packing up most of the evidence bags and files into a large box. "You putting all that stuff in there for the evidence room?" Eric asked at the doorway.

"Yeah, the ADA is going to take it out and look at it before it goes to trial." Natalia said quickly.

Eric sighed. "I'm glad it's over." Eric admitted.

Natalia glared at him. "It's not over for Ryan." Natalia reminded him.

Eric nodded. "You're right. He's still pretty messed up…physically and mentally." Eric agreed.

Natalia sighed before sitting down. "We don't treat him very well." Natalia noted.

"No, we don't." Eric said. "I guess we have our own reasons. With me, I guess I still can't get over Speedle's death."

There was a silence before Horatio and Calleigh entered. "Hey, we just wanted to let you two know we're going over to see Ryan with Alexx. Do you want to come along?" Calleigh asked politely.

Eric nodded. "Of course," He said swiftly.

((-))

**One Month Later**

Ryan sat in the lab fiddling with a pen. "How's the trace analysis coming?" Eric asked.

"Slow," Ryan replied.

"How long are you going to be stuck in the lab?" Eric asked.

Ryan looked around before sighing. "I've got to pass my physical exam, mental exam and firearms exam, but my doctor says it'll be another month or two before I even start those." Ryan said putting the pen down.

Eric suddenly felt horrible. He never meant to treat Ryan so horribly, but it just happened. "Ryan, I'm sorry for how I've been to you…" Eric said suddenly.

Ryan gave him a slight smile. "I was never here to prove anything and I'm still not. I'm here to follow the evidence and find out the truth." Ryan said.

Eric smiled before leaving the lab.

((-))

Natalia saw Eric walk out of the trace lab and then walked in. "Ryan, I'm sorry for selling you out!" Natalia blurted as soon as she walked through the door.

"Natalia, why is everyone apologizing to me?" Ryan asked without acknowledging her outburst.

The young woman shrugged. "I don't know. I think it's because we all realized that you could have died and we never were nice to you. I mean, the guy picked you because he saw how we treated you." Natalia said.

Ryan nodded. "Maybe some of us enter other people's lives at a bad time." Ryan suggested before grabbing his crutching and hopping away.

((-))

Some are injured in the line of duty while others are killed. Yet, they did it for us. They served and protected us. Remember, it is not how they died, but how they lived that made them heroes.

**The End**

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: Miami.

A/N- I hope you enjoyed this story. I'm sorry about the slow updates, but life moves so quickly and gets so busy! If you liked this story, check out my other stories.

Kylie Anderson


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